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- What: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Vegas Golden Knights
- Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
- Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: BSSUN, SCRIPPS, ESPN+
Two NHL clubs looking to hold onto their wild card spots and make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs meet tonight when the Tampa Bay Lightning face the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tampa is in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with 78 points. The team is the first wild card in the Eastern Conference and trails the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic by eight points. Meanwhile, Vegas sits in the No. 4 spot in the Pacific Division with 79 points. The Golden Knights are the second team in the wild card hunt in the Western Conference, but they have the same number of points as the Los Angeles Kings, who are in the third spot in the division because they have one more regulation win than the Golden Knights.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 26-25-6 on the 2024 NHL season with a road record of 15-16-2. The team is 6-3-1 in their past 10 games and on a three-game winning streak.
The Vegas Golden Knights are 36-24-7 in 2024. The club has a home record of 21-10-2, and they are 4-5-1 in their past 10 outings. Vegas is coming off a 3-1 home win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for tonight’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vegas Golden Knights, check out our betting picks to win the 2024 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Vegas Golden Knights betting picks – March 19, 2024
 | Puck Line | Money Line | Total |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1.5 (-220) | +120 | Ov 6.5 (+100) |
| Vegas Golden Knights | -1.5 (+190) | -135 | Un 6.5 (-116) |
Tampa Bay Lightning betting breakdown
After last year’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, there were questions about how things would go for an aging and slowing Tampa Bay Lightning in 2024. This season did not start well for the club, with a 4-3-3 record. Still, barring a complete collapse in the final 15 games of the season or an unexpected surge from the Washington Capitals or New York Islanders, the Lightning are likely to make the postseason for the seventh year in a row.
Nikita Kucherov is having a fantastic year. With 66 games played, Kucherov has already topped his points total from last year (113), and he could beat his career-high of 128 points if he keeps producing at his current rate. Kucherov leads the Lightning with 114 points, 40 goals, and 74 assists. His career-high in goals (and points) came in 2019 when he scored 41 goals. Brayden Point is second on the Lightning in scoring with 73 points.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is getting the bulk of the starts in the Tampa Bay net as the 2024 NHL playoffs near. He has a 24-16-1 record, a 2.96 goals against average, and a .898 save percentage.
The Lightning are 6th in the NHL in goals per game (3.46) while allowing the 13th most goals per game (3.36). Tampa Bay has the best power play in the NHL at 28.9 percent. The team’s penalty kill is operating at 81.2 percent, which makes them the 10th-best team while playing shorthanded.
Vegas Golden Knights betting breakdown
The Vegas Golden Knights, who are the defending Stanley Cup champions, finished the 2023 NHL season with the most points in the Western Conference (111). The team will not hit that number in 2024, but they will likely make the 2024 NHL playoffs unless the St. Louis Blues or Minnesota Wild get hot down the stretch.
Jonathan Marchessault leads the team in scoring with 58 points. He is also at the top of the club in goals with 37. Mark Stone is the team leader in assists with 37. Stone is also the second-highest scorer on the club, scoring 53 points in the year.
Adin Hill returned to the crease for Vegas on January 23 after last playing in mid-December. He has picked up most of the team’s starts since then. Hill has a 17-9-2 record to go with a 2.60 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. If Hill falters, Logan Thompson is a solid backup plan. He has an 18-12-5 record, a 2.82 GAA, and a .904 SV %.
The Golden Knights are 14th in the NHL in goals per game (3.16), and they are 11th in fewest goals allowed (2.96). Vegas has the 22nd-best power play in the NHL (19.0 percent) and the 11th-best penalty kill (80.8 percent).
Best bets for Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights have been struggling lately. Their record since February 12 is 5-9-1. That does not bode well for the club heading into tonight’s matchup against the Lightning, who are riding a three-game winning streak. Further, Tampa has scored 18 goals in those three games while giving up just six. Vegas has scored nine goals in its past three games and surrendered the same number. The betting pick is for the Tampa Bay Lightning to get the upset win against the Golden Knights in Vegas.
Look for a high-scoring game tonight at T-Mobile Arena. The betting pick is for the Lightning and Golden Knights to combine for more than 6.5 goals.
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